This project started in 2008 and aimed to produce a synthetic line of chickens under hot climate conditions in Egypt. A description of the main features of the line Benha chickens (Line B) is carried out. It was founded in 2011 as a synthetic line between the Egyptian Golden Montazah (50%) and the White Leghorn (50 %). The procedure of foundation began mating Golden Montazah cocks to White Leghorn hens and it was followed by three generations of “inter se” mating. Afterwards the line has been selected to highly egg production and quality according to the predicted breeding values based the BLUP procedure using animal model.
The phenotypic and productive characters for this line are recorded. The main characteristics of this line are: Feather colors in adult chickens were mostly White (70%), 15% red golden and 15% grey, good adaptation for hot climate conditions (25-35 oC). It has high resistance for Pasteurellosis and Salmonella diseases, high fertility (93%) and hatchability (86%), low mortality rate (1%) during the production period, moderate body weight at sexual maturity (1742 g) and age at sexual maturity 159.6 d, high annual egg production (230 egg), moderate egg weight (55 g), white egg color, egg shape index was 79.1%, high Haugh units (93.8 %), live body weight was 1970 g and 1269 g for males and females respectively, carcass weight was 1273 g for cocks and moderate dressing percentage (65%). Thus, the B-line has showed high productive traits under hot climate conditions in Egypt. |
